Sunday 1 March 2020 - Great Run Local at Wythenshawe

 

Just to prove that it doesn't rain every day, and Wythenshawe Park isn't totally under water or frost, here are a couple of Zoe's photos from this morning's jog around the park. This route is on tarmac, so all the wet weather does is create a few massive puddles (like yesterday's at Alexandra Park), so wet feet are the order of the day.

 

While Sue went bellringing, I jogged around the 5 km course with Michael, for the second week running just failing to outsprint him to the finishing line. 24.23 was quite an acceptable time, after a slowish start amongst the children and the puddles once we'd left the running track.

 

 

A lovely way to start the day. Thanks for the photos, Zoe.

Saturday 21 December 2019 - Wythenshawe parkrun number 421

 

It's the time of year when many people dress up for their 5 km parkrun pre Christmas ritual.

 

Cary's was a particularly good disguise!

 

Alan's team was also preparing for action.

 

 

We ran the Flag and Sandcastle course 'backwards'. I think Dan (Run Director for the day) meant 'in reverse'. Here we are at the start.

 

 

Sue posed with two reprobates - Running Ron, and Andy 'No Show', who by dint of some unexpected miracle had actually turned up.

 

 

The numbers swelled as it got closer to nine o' clock.

 

 

 

 

Oliver looked on as the Cordingly Dynasty assembled en masse.

 

 

Then we were off, soon into the muddy grass of the 'flag' area, then back up the start/finish straight.

 

The legs of my costume were by now sodden and dragging around the ankles. Hard work! And more mud to come...

 

 

My camera had been given to Rowena, who took this series of photos, hence the regular appearance of her heavily disguised father... Thanks Rowena, you did well.

 

 

After the first lap, even 'slow Alastair' came steaming past me!

 

 

I think Cary blamed the hot beard for his slow time.

 

 

I struggled to the finish in 25.36, feeling as if my ankles had weights attached to them. Position 82. (Full results are here.)

 

 

Cheeky Andrew flew past Sue in the finishing straight. 

 

 

A quick post run photo, then it was off to the café for coffee and scones.

 

 

 

Well, that was such a jolly occasion that we repeated it on Sunday at the Great Run Local event in Wythenshawe Park. Here's a team of worthies - Winston Runners I presume.

 

There was no Rowena to take photos today...

The legs were as much of a drag as ever, but I did manage to shave two seconds of the previous day's time, with Sue just behind, though Richard Bacon (78) finished well ahead of us today.
 

 

Full results are here.

 

Two lovely events. Very enjoyable, as was the subsequent soak in the bath - for both bodies and my costume.

Saturday 27 July 2019 - 'Wythenshawe' visits Armley parkrun

 

About a dozen Wythenshawe parkrunners and supporters dusted off their passports and went on tour to Armley Park, in the Yorkshire City of Leeds. What a fine set of specimens!

 

 

Sue and I arrived in plenty of time and strolled around the park in search of the starting point. A WhatsApp group set up by Jan gradually drew everyone to a satisfactory rendezvous, but not before Sue had admired the flower beds in the park, of which this was one of many.

 

 

 

It's a three lap course, as always over 5 kilometres. Here, Annie is briefing Owen, with whom she will run, and Jan and Sue are raring to go.

 

 

Then, all too soon, Jan finished, just a few seconds behind me in a respectable time, considering there were 'hills'. About 20 metres of ascent in total doesn't sound much, but with our old legs...

 

 

Jan and I had lapped Owen and Annie, so we joined them for their third lap.

 

Very pleasant it was too. We had time to pause sufficiently to admire the views over 'Greater Leeds'.

 

 

 

They finished in about 37 minutes and were still moving well, as indicated by the blurred images!

 

 

Full results for the 222 participants are here. There are more photos on the Armley parkrun Facebook page, here.

 

We all adjourned for a welcome breakfast at a nearby pub - The Malt Shovel, I think.

 

At that point it started to rain. It was still raining this morning (Sunday) when Sue and I drove round to Wythenshawe Park to take part in the 'Great Run Local' 5 km event that provides us with a bit of exercise on otherwise uneventful Sundays.

 

The picture below was taken from the car, about ten minutes before the start, when normally lots of runners can be seen warming up on the track. If you look carefully you might see one person doing just that.

 

 

It was actually raining quite hard. We joined about thirty others under a small shelter before being shooed off to the start by a marshal. It's on days like this when the marshals really do need to be thanked. They stand around directing and encouraging people, whereas the runners can keep warm by running. Today both Sue and I went considerably faster than usual - I suppose we were just trying to stay warm! We finished by chatting to a group of 'hardies' in the rain at the finishing line, before returning, completely sodden, home.

Sunday 5 May 2019 – Great Run Local at Wythenshawe Park

Sue joined me today for a regular Sunday morning 5km jog around Wythenshawe Park. I’ve been doing this recently, just to get a bit of early Sunday morning exercise on days that would otherwise be rather sedentary.

There’s a 2km run for juniors that takes place at the same time, starting and finishing on the running track. This clearly appeals to the little ones, and care is needed to avoid trampling them underfoot before they turn around after 1km.

We ran together, taking a leisurely 26,30 on Sue’s first and my sixth participation in this event, which is smaller than the Saturday parkrun, with just 68 taking part today, compared with 414 parkrunners on Saturday.

It takes place at Wythenshawe Park’s athletics track every Sunday morning at 9 o’clock. Details are here and here and here.

A photo in TGO Magazine, and more running

The Great Outdoors magazine has a monthly back page of themed ‘Readers’ Photos’. The theme for the February 2019 issue was ‘Winter’. I rather ‘tongue in cheek’ ily sent in a couple of images of the Bridgewater Canal in winter. Hardly up to the standard of the image we used for this year’s electronic Christmas cards, but hey!

The magazine eschewed the image of a cyclist on the canal, but it did print the picture taken above, of Sue out for a stroll on 7 January 2010.

I’m not expecting any photographic assignments, but it is nice to be in print.

Back to running. Last week’s Sunday morning trip to the running track at Wythenshawe Park with J and J wasn’t entirely successful as neither child wanted to do the 2 km run, and I finished up going for a jog with Sarah.

However, that trip did stimulate me into getting the Great Run Local Tag ID, which arrived yesterday. So I popped down this morning and jogged around the 5 km course – a different course from the Saturday parkrun course, with fewer people. The picture below was taken just as the runners were about to set off. At the end of the run the Tag ID wristband is tapped against the start/finisher’s mobile phone, at which point this person, who I’d never met before, said “Well done Martin, 24.11". The name and time must come up on his screen.

Although they didn’t run last week, J and J were sufficiently enthused to go to Burnley this morning with their mum and take part in a junior parkrun 2 km event. Their mum had sorted out bar codes and this time the children joined in the fun. Neither had run as far as 2 km before. Jacob managed it in 12.35, and Jess in 15.00 – both brilliant performances. Here they are before the run.

I’m a proud granddad – today’s effort more than makes up for their reluctance to run last week. Well done to their mum as well.